STANDARD EXPANSIONS AND FACTORISATIONS

EXPANSIONS

(1) ( a + b ) = a 2 + b 2 + 2ab
2

(2) ( a − b ) = a 2 + b 2 − 2ab
2

(3) ( a + b ) = a 3 + b 3 + 3ab ( a + b )
3

(4) ( a − b ) = a 3 − b 3 − 3ab ( a − b )
3

(5) ( a + b + c ) = a 2 + b 2 + c 2 + 2 ( ab + bc + ca )
2

(6) ( a + b + c ) = a 3 + b 3 + c 3 + 3( a + b ) ( b + c ) ( c + a )
3

FACTORISATIONS

(1) a 2 − b 2 = ( a − b ) ( a + b )

(
(2) a 3 − b 3 = ( a − b ) a 2 + ab + b 2 )
(
(3) a 3 + b 3 = ( a + b ) a 2 − ab + b 2 )
( )
(4) a n − b n = ( a − b ) a n−1 + a n−2b + a n−3b 2 + ....+ ab n−2 + b n−1 , where n ∈N
(
Example: a 4 − b 4 = ( a − b ) a 3 + a 2b + ab 2 + b 3 )
( )
(5) a n + b n = ( a + b ) a n−1 − a n−2b + a n−3b 2 − ....+ b n−1 , where n is an odd positive integer
5
(
Example: a + b = ( a + b ) a − a b + a b − ab 3 + b 4
5 4 3 2 2
)
(
(6) a 3 + b 3 + c 3 − 3abc = ( a + b + c ) a 2 + b 2 + c 2 − ab − bc − ca )
(7) a + b + c = 0 ⇒ a 3 + b 3 + c 3 = 3abc
 PROBLEMS

1. Let a,b ∈R such that a + b = 2 and ab = −2 . Evaluate

i) ( a − b )2
ii) a2 + b2
iii) a3 + b3
iv) a4 + b4
v) a5 + b5

Ans: 12; 8; 20; 56; 152

Solution:
part (i): ( a − b ) = ( a + b ) − 4ab = 4 + 8 = 12
2 2

part (ii): a 2 + b 2 = ( a + b ) − 2ab = 4 + 4 = 8

2

part (iii): a 3 + b 3 = ( a + b ) − 3ab ( a + b ) = 8 + 6 ( 2 ) = 20

3

( )
2
part (iv): a 4 + b 4 = a 2 + b 2 − 2a 2b 2 = 64 − 8 = 56
( )( ) ( !# #"##
) ( $
) ( )
part (v): a 2 + b 2 a 3 + b 3 = a 5 + b 5 + a 2b 3 + a 3b 2 ⇒ 160 = a 5 + b 5 + 8 ⇒ a 5 + b 5 = 152
a 2b 2 ( a+b )

2. Given that a − b = ab = 10 , find the value of a 4 + b 4

Ans: 14200
Solution: a 2 + b 2 = ( a − b ) + 2ab = 120 .Now,
2

a 4 + b 4 = ( a 2 + b 2 ) − 2a 2b 2 = 14400 − 200 = 14200

2

3. Let a,b,c ∈R such that a + b + c = 3, ab + bc + ca = −1, abc = −6 . Evaluate:

i) ( a + 1) ( b + 1) ( c + 1)
ii) a 2 + b 2 + c 2
iii) a 3 + b 3 + c 3
iv) a + b + c
4 4 4

Ans: -3; 11; 18; 47

Solution:
 part (i): ( a + 1)(b + 1)( c + 1) = abc + ( ab + bc + ca ) + ( a + b + c ) + 1 = −3
part (ii): a + b + c = ( a + b + c ) − 2 ( ab + bc + ca ) = 11
2 2 2 2

part (iii): a + b + c − 3abc = ( a + b + c ) ( a + b + c − ab − bc − ca )

3 3 3 2 2 2

⇒ a 3 + b 3 + c 3 + 18 = ( 3) (11+ 1) ⇒ a 3 + b 3 + c 3 = 18
part (iv): ( a + b + c ) = ( a + b + c ) + 2 ( a b + b c + c a ) ...(1) . Now,
2 2 2 2 4 4 4 2 2 2 2 2 2

( ab + bc + ca )2 = a 2b 2 + b 2 c 2 + c 2 a 2 + 2!( ab ⋅bc + bc ⋅ ca + ca ⋅ ab )
####"####$
2abc( a+b+c )

⇒ a b + b c + c a = 37 ⇒ a + b + c = 47
2 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 4

4. The sum of 3 numbers, the sum of their squares and the sum of their cubes, are all
equal to 6. Find the product of the numbers.

Ans: 20
a+b+c= 6
Solution: Given that a + b + c = 6 . Now,
2 2 2

a3 + b3 + c3 = 6
( a + b + c )2 = a 2 + b 2 + c 2 + 2 ( ab + bc + ca ) ⇒ ab + bc + ca = 15 . Also,
a + b + c − 3abc = ( a + b + c ) ( a + b + c − ab − bc − ca ) ⇒ 6 − 3abc = 6 ( 6 − 15 ) ⇒ abc = 20
3 3 3 2 2 2

5. If a + b + c = 4 and ab + bc + ca = −2 , find the value of the expression

( a + b + c )2 + ( −a + b + c )2 + ( a − b + c )2 + ( a + b − c )2

Ans: 80
( a + b + c )2 = a 2 + b 2 + c 2 + 2 ( ab + bc + ca ) ⎫
⎪
( −a + b + c )2 = a 2 + b 2 + c 2 + 2 ( −ab + bc − ca )⎪⎪
Solution: ⎬⇒
( a − b + c )2 = a 2 + b 2 + c 2 + 2 ( −ab − bc + ca ) ⎪
⎪
( a + b − c )2 = a 2 + b 2 + c 2 + 2 ( ab − bc − ca ) ⎪⎭
( a + b + c )2 + ( −a + b + c )2 + ( a − b + c )2 + ( a + b − c )2 = 4 ( a 2 + b 2 + c 2 )
= 4 ⎡⎣( a + b + c ) − 2 ( ab + bc + ca ) ⎤⎦
2

6. If ( a + b + c ) = a + b + c , then prove that ( a + b + c ) = a + b + c .

33 3 3 5 5 5 5
 Solution: ( a + b + c ) = a 3 + b 3 + c 3 + 3( a + b ) ( b + c ) ( c + a ) ⇒ ( a + b ) ( b + c ) ( c + a ) = 0
3

⇒ a = −b or b = −c or c = −a . Suppose a = −b . Then ( a + b + c ) = c 5 and

5

a 5 + b 5 + c 5 = ( −b ) + b 5 + c 5 = c 5
5

7. Factorize:
i) 4x 2 − 9y 2
ii) x 2 − 4x + 3 + 2y − y 2
iii) x 4 − y 2 + 2x 2 + 1

Ans: ( 2x + 3y )( 2x − 3y ) ; ( x − y − 1)( x + y − 3) ; ( x 2 + 1+ y )( x 2 + 1− y )
Solution:
( ) ( )
part (ii): x 2 − 4x + 3 + 2y − y 2 = x 2 − 4x + 4 − y 2 − 2y + 1 = ( x − 2 ) − ( y − 1)
2 2

= ( x − 2 + y − 1) ( x − 2 − y + 1)
( ) ( ) ( )( )
2
part (iii): x 4 − y 2 + 2x 2 + 1 = x 4 + 2x 2 + 1 − y 2 = x 2 + 1 − y 2 = x 2 + 1+ y x 2 + 1− y

3
a + b + c = 0 , find the value of
3 3 ( a + b + c )3
8. If
abc

Ans: 27
a = x⎫ 3

⎪⎪ 1
Solution: Let 3 b = y ⎬ ⇒ x + y + z = 0 ⇒ x 3 + y 3 + z 3 = 3xyz ⇒ a + b + c = 3( abc ) 3
⎪
3
c = z ⎪⎭
⇒ ( a + b + c ) = 27 ( abc )
3

9. Express ( x − y ) + ( y − z ) + ( z − x ) as a product of linear factors.

3 3 3

Ans: 3( x − y ) ( y − z ) ( z − x )
 x − y = a⎫
⎪
Solution: let y − z = b ⎬ ⇒ a + b + c = 0 ⇒ a 3 + b 3 + c 3 = 3abc ⇒
z − x = c ⎪⎭
( x − y )3 + ( y − z )3 + ( z − x )3 = 3( x − y ) ( y − z ) ( z − x )

(a − b2 ) + (b2 − c2 ) + ( c2 − a2 )
2 3 3 3

10. Prove that = ( a + b )(b + c )( c + a )

( a − b )3 + ( b − c )3 + ( c − a )3

Solution: Given expression reduces to

( )(
3 a2 − b2 b2 − c2 c2 − a2 )( =
)
( a − b )( a + b )(b − c )(b + c )( c − a )( c + a )
3( a − b ) ( b − c ) ( c − a ) ( a − b )(b − c )( c − a )

11. Solve: 3
x+ 4 − 3 x =1

Ans: −2 ± 5
1 ⎛ 1⎞ 1⎛ 1
⎞
Solution: We have ( x + 4 ) 3 + ⎜ −x 3 ⎟ + ( −1) = 0 ⇒ x + 4 + ( −x ) + ( −1) = 3( x + 4 ) 3 ⎜ −x 3 ⎟ ( −1)
⎝ ⎠ ⎝ ⎠
1
⇒ ( x 2 + 4x ) 3 = 1 ⇒ x 2 + 4x − 1 = 0